17. Seduction
Before filling out the list, Cui Mingyu went to the Song Mansion. She was also a playboy before. Although she looked down on Song Er in her heart, she pretended to be nice to him on the surface and they were considered to be acquaintances.
So when Cui Mingyu pretended to be familiar with her and took her arm, he quietly said, "I heard that your vicious dog always wins the championship in the fighting arena. I've also become fascinated by it recently. Can you let me see how to feed it?"
"You know my mother's temper. She doesn't let me touch this stuff, so I do it secretly. Didn't I hear you have experience, so I came to see you?"
Song Er paused, his eyes stained with a smile, and his voice was low and hoarse, "Of course, it's okay to let you see it."
She took Cui Mingyu to her dog farm. On the way, Cui Mingyu looked around and silently memorized the route.
Several ferocious dogs bared their teeth, with a few drops of blood dripping from the tips of their teeth. The smell was extremely bad, and Cui Mingyu frowned as soon as he stepped in.
There were still red bloodstains on the iron cage.
Although Song Er was gloomy, he did not say that the meat was human flesh. He just briefly mentioned the meat and explained how to tame it. She was quite enthusiastic and even raised her eyebrows.
"If you don't have any good stuff, I can sell you a few puppies. When they grow up, they will definitely become vicious dogs in the fighting arena."
Cui Mingyu nodded in agreement and said with a smile that she would send the money next time. When she left, she called Song Er sister, but her face turned cold the moment she turned around.
He held his fists together for a long time without separating them.
Li Miaomiao also went to the Song family again, bringing gifts to apologize. After all, it was she who kicked Song Er before leaving last time, and Song Shangshu was embarrassed.
She was not from a poor family. Although the Hefu was remote, she was indeed the daughter of a county magistrate. Her mother's official position was neither high nor low, which could give her some protection.
She sat in the hall, looking at Minister Song, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with smiles. "I'm so sorry for what happened last time. I almost thought Second Lady Song was bullying others, so I acted like a hero. Who would have thought I'd saved a scoundrel?"
"That young Lord Fang was addicted to gambling and lust. He stole my money to gamble. Not only did he lose all his money and house, but he also nearly ruined my reputation."
Li Miaomiao sighed slowly, "Minister Song is well-known and appreciates talents. It is an honor for me to be invited by Master Song to be his retainer, but I am so ungrateful..."
She pursed her lips and spoke again, feeling extremely disappointed. "To be honest, I asked someone to contact the examiner, and they said... I won't be able to make the list."
"...I only ask that the Minister give me another chance to be a guest of the Song Mansion."
Minister Song was a little unhappy at first, but seeing that Li Miaomiao was so sincere, and her mother was also a small official, he smiled generously and spoke in a pretentious manner.
"Little Marquis Fang is being unreasonable. I can't blame you for making a mistake. Madam Li, if you are willing, the door of the Song Mansion will always be open to you. Since your money is lost, you can live in the Song Mansion."
Li Miaomiao had some fame in the capital before, and was also proficient in poetry and songs. She read this person's articles and found them to be indeed good, otherwise she would not have invited her to be her guest before.
She looked to the side with her cloudy eyes, and the servant next to her immediately understood what she meant and brought a tray of silver.
"Madam Li... I have high hopes for you, my junior. Take this money for now and use it to deal with your immediate needs."
The silver piled up on the plate was not banknotes, but real silver.
The amount of money was too much, and she was really willing to spend it... No, she was the Minister of Revenue, in charge of finances.
Minister Song has many retainers, and many young men from poor families in the capital come to visit her. If everyone is treated like this... it seems there is something to dig up.
Li Miaomiao lowered her eyes to look at the pile of silver, the corners of her lips curled up, and she was overjoyed and pretended to kneel down to express her gratitude, "Sir Song! You are truly my benefactor!"
"No, no..."
Minister Song smiled and embraced her.
The West Market is a mixed crowd, with goods from all over the country, all kinds of strange and wonderful things. The Colosseum is also located underground in the West Market. If you have the right connections, you can buy anything.
Yun Zhihe stroked the chess piece with his fingertips as he played chess with the prince. There was a darkness in his eyes, and he closed them again to hide his thoughts.
She looked cold and indifferent, except that she hadn't smiled recently.
Xuanyuan He noticed her expression, dropped a black dot, and said softly, "Sister Zhihe, don't worry."
This chess game was extremely thrilling. The black pieces had a clear advantage, especially the move Xuanyuan He just made, which was ingenious. Whether retreating or defending, the white pieces would lose.
He was still petite, and when he looked up at Yun Zhihe, his eyes moved slightly, and his voice was hoarse, but there was a bit of pitiful sympathy in his eyes, and he didn't show any dominance in the chess game.
"Those who have committed such heinous crimes will definitely be punished."
Yun Zhihe nodded and said, "Thank you very much for your help, Your Highness."
She didn't ask him to do many things, and it was better for him not to know some things.
Emotions surged in Xuanyuan He's eyes as he looked at the chess board, a faint smile forming at the corners of his lips.
Kuroko rushed in with an overwhelming victory, and with just one move, she lost.
Just as Madam Fu Ya said... he is a genius.
Even this woman will only be defeated by him.
She lowered her eyes to look at the chessboard, seemingly unable to feel the danger of the game. She played with the white piece on her fingertips, making her fingertips look even whiter and tenderer, and gently placed it on the chessboard.
The white pieces hit the chessboard, making a crisp and pleasant sound, which is very beautiful.
Xuanyuan He paused and suddenly tightened his grip on Heizi's fingertips.
What’s going on…?!
He suddenly raised his eyes to look at Yun Zhihe. Her face was still calm and cold. She was probably in a bad mood because of Song Er's matter.
But, but the white piece turned the situation around with just one move. The white piece that seemed full of loopholes to him just now turned out to be a hidden line, trapping him tightly and making him unable to move.
His fingertips were trembling slightly with sweat, wetting the chess piece. He hesitated for a long time without putting it down, just frowning and staring at the chessboard.
The situation reversed, and the situation that was extremely dangerous for Bai Zi just now turned out to be a disadvantage for him.
Damn it...actually...
Yun Zhihe's expression remained calm. He glanced at his trembling Adam's apple and said, "The most important thing to avoid when playing chess is a distracted mind. Your Highness the Crown Prince can no longer make a move."
Xuanyuan He paused, lowered his eyes to hide his unwillingness, gritted his teeth, and deliberately calmed his expression, "...I lost."
"Don't underestimate the enemy before the final move." She glanced with her light-colored eyes, looked out the window beside her, and spoke softly with a slightly indifferent expression.
"All the hidden lines combined, the interweaving of light and dark, and then tightening, are enough to kill the opponent..."
It seems to imply otherwise.
He smiled, suppressed the discomfort that suddenly tightened in his heart, put the chess piece back, stood up and sat next to Yun Zhihe, "Sister Zhihe, don't play chess anymore."
Xuanyuan He's eyes were slightly red. He pinched the corner of Yun Zhihe's clothes with his hands and looked up at him. "I still don't understand some of the lessons that Madam Fu Ya taught me that day. Could you... give me some guidance?"
Men in Ling Dynasty do not like to wear heavy makeup. Most men only add a little color to the corners of their eyes, revealing their charm when their eyes move.
He did the same. In order to seduce Yun Zhihe, he deliberately added a touch of light red to the corners of his eyes, and the boy's face showed a bit of pure confusion.
Yun Zhihe nodded and slightly curved his eyes. He seemed to have lost all the indifference he had just shown while playing chess, and his temperament suddenly softened.
Xuanyuan He and she were reading a book together in front of a case. Yun Zhihe pointed at the sentences with her fingertips and began to explain. Her voice was soft and clear, which was more fascinating than that of the fierce Madam Fu Ya.
"This means that when dealing with people and things, one must first..."
He was slightly stunned. The distance was neither too big nor too small, but he could smell the fragrance on her body, like the scent of bamboo and plum blossoms mixed together. He could see her profile with just a glance.
Her skin was a cool pale color, her nose was high and pointed, and her eyebrows were as bright and smooth as the autumn water and the bright moon.
...It is indeed beautiful.
It's not entirely unreasonable that those young men, including the old man, are obsessed with her.
Xuanyuan He suppressed his expression, leaned closer, and deliberately exposed his fair and slender neck for her to see. He put his hand on the book, and his fingertips deliberately touched her fingertips, transmitting his body temperature, and his voice was elegant.
"...What about this place? How is it?"
He had lived in the palace since he was a child, so he naturally knew how the successors of the previous emperor sought favor and flattered others, and how they acted coquettishly without realizing it. He had learned all those despicable tricks long ago.
He naturally looked down on those tricks, but in order to seduce this woman and make the old man in a high position lose his mind, he also spent a lot of money.
“Hmm…”
He leaned closer, his voice deliberately low and slow, and turned his head as if casually, touching her. The breath from the tip of his nose also touched her neck, causing a tingling sensation.
Hide the smile in your eyes.
Yun Zhihe looked calm, as if he didn't notice at all, and continued to explain.
Xuanyuan He was a little unhappy, but he adjusted his movements inadvertently and moved closer to her. His voice lengthened gently and slowly, with a slight tremor at the end.
"Sister Zhihe... am I born stupid? I can't even understand such a thing."
Yun Zhihe paused, lowered his eyes to look at him, and just in time saw the white and tender neck, he looked away again, "Your Highness the Crown Prince just didn't understand for the moment."
She frowned, as if she didn't know how to remind him that his collar was a little untied.
A man's reputation is important...it seems inappropriate to speak up.
Yun Zhihe just pretended not to see it.
Xuanyuan He turned his head, and his warm body temperature was transmitted to her. He looked up at her vaguely, feeling lost.
"Sister Zhihe has the demeanor of an immortal, gentle and generous. I'm sure many young men will admire her and love her..."
"I am so foolish, I can't compare to my father who is wise and brave, and decisive in killing people. Sister Zhihe won't despise me, right?"
His voice was soft and gentle, but there was something hidden in his words, saying that Xuanyuan Ying was unkind and a cold-blooded old man.
Yun Zhihe didn't understand the meaning, but felt that the words were familiar. He frowned and inexplicably wanted to refute.
Cha Yan Cha... No, it's self-PUA that is not acceptable.
"Zhi He has said many times that Your Highness is very talented and intelligent, so there is no need to underestimate yourself..."
She looked at Xuanyuan He seriously, lowered her head slightly, and her breath fanned his face. Their breaths intertwined. Xuanyuan He was a little dazed, and he only felt the seriousness in her eyes and the hot breath.
It was so hot that... the tips of his ears turned red.
"I know that His Majesty and Fu Ya are very strict with you and often belittle you, but at this age, your Highness the Crown Prince is already a rare talent in terms of knowledge and talent."
Yun Zhihe looked into his dark and deep eyes, and their eyes met, with hidden emotions.
"Your Highness, why is he so aggressive towards me? In Zhihe's mind..."
"You are already an excellent crown prince."
The touching fingertips of the two of them also burst out with warmth in the early winter, so warm that Xuanyuan He's fingertips felt a little hot.
This woman...
He was a little overwhelmed and didn't know how to accept her compliment.
Xuanyuan He admitted that he was cold-hearted, but he had never heard anyone praise him. Xuanyuan Ying and Fu Ya kept a close eye on him, and that was...
He had grown up in the gutter, and when he heard about Song Er's deeds, he was just stunned and didn't care. He agreed to do the thing she asked him to do in order to do a favor.
He is so dark inside, even a little world-weary. He has been abused since childhood, and he sees everything with disgust and indifference.
He had long been corrupted from the inside out, and even watching people struggling and dying in front of him could not stir up any ripples in his eyes, just like when his adopted prince died painfully in front of him.
Yun Zhihe just looked at him and said softly, "Your Highness, you are already very outstanding."
He pursed his lips and nodded slightly.
After Yun Zhihe explained the lessons clearly, he said goodbye, leaving Xuanyuan He alone in the hall.
He suddenly lay on the ground, not caring about his image, his eyes calmly looking at the ceiling, the back of his hand against his forehead.
After a long time, he spoke softly to the shadow guard in the dark, his voice hoarse.
"Hey...do women like mature men?"
Xuanyuan He is not yet of marriageable age, but such a handsome young man with a slender, thin and soft body should be a woman's favorite.
He looked at his body with disgust, then closed his eyes and exhaled.
"How stupid! That woman clearly..."
He pursed his lips and his voice was calm.
"It's obvious that I'm seducing her..."
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